I’m finished, trader wails as fire guts a Market in Anambra

 Recently, many markets and homes have been reported to be gutted by fire, sometimes the causes of the fire are known while some are unknown and this tragedy has been on a constant in the society.

Previously Lagos recorded such incidences, later Kano and now Anambra Market. The situation has led to the impoverishment of many shop owners thereby living their families stranded without knowing what net to do.

Some, of these shop owners in such markets gutted by fire, most times get their funding from bank loans. And when such hazardous experience occurs, many of them are then left in a state of serious confusion and debt that they may not be able to pay back or even recover from.

An early morning inferno has engulfed the popular Ogbeogonogo market, Asaba, Delta State capital, destroying buildings and goods worth millions of naira. An early morning inferno, on Tuesday, razed the popular Ogbeogonogo Market, Asaba, Delta State, capital, destroying structures, livestock and other goods worth millions of naira.

The entire livestock section and part of the tailoring materials section were consumed by the fire. No human casualty was recorded in the fire incident, as the market has been under lock and key since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic

Though the cause of the fire, which started at about 7a.m., was unknown as at press time, sources said it may not be unconnected with electrical fault from a section, where mobile phones and accessories were sold.

Traders, whose goods were lost to the inferno, wailed uncontrollably as sympathisers made anxious efforts to salvage what was left. An eyewitness, Roselyn James, said: “The first state fire service truck that came to rescue the situation ran out of the water while the fire was still on.

As at 9:26a.m., the fourth fire service truck arrived while good Samaritans were serving water from the gutter to put out the fire but to no avail.” One of the traders, who was affected by the incident, said: “I am finished! All my sewing machines are gone.

Even materials that I collected from customers all got burnt in the shop.” Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area, Uche Osadebe, who also visited the scene, demanded the services of an excavator to clear the burnt shops to pave way for the fire service truck to gain access into the market and put out the fire completely. Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has commiserated with traders whose property was lost fire incident.

Okowa, who visited the market to inspect the extent of damage done by the inferno, said the state government would assist the affected traders to get back to their businesses

Story by: Ayooluwa Joshua